Father whips toddler son and tries to hide abuse by using frozen hot dogs on legs and backside to reduce swelling
A 23-year-old man from Phoenix has been sentenced to a year in prison for child abuse for whipping his two-year-old son so badly that he incurred injuries and swellings on his legs and backside. He later used a package of frozen hot dogs in an attempt to reduce the swellings, reports said.
According to court documents, the father, identified as Joshua Junior Rodriguez, was also sentenced to five years probation after he pleaded guilty to child abuse, according to ABC15. However, reports state that Rodriguez may have the probation revoked after he was arrested last month for a home burglary.
Rodriguez was arrested by Phoenix police last year on October 31 for child abuse after his wife reported him for whipping their infant son. According to police reports, on October 11, 2017, the boy's mother was packing to leave the house after an argument with Rodriguez, when she heard "whipping sounds" coming from the garage. When she entered the garage, she saw Rodriguez whipping the two-year-old on his buttocks with a duffel bag strap.
The mother took the child away from him and dashed inside the house; the father, however, pushed her away and snatched the boy from her. He took the child to the bedroom, removed his diaper and continued striking him on the butt.
The father then threw him on the bed and spanked him 23 times, after which he took the child into the shower and struck him again when the boy tried to get out of the bathroom. The boy received severe bruises and swellings from the whipping; the father after seeing the injuries placed a package of frozen hot dogs on his son's butt to reduce the swelling, according to reports.
The police report also added that Rodriguez then told the child's mother: "You're going to get me for child abuse, huh?" He reportedly did not allow the woman to leave the house until she assured him that she would not call the authorities on him after leaving.
Rodriguez, however, during his initial court appearance, claimed: "These are all false allegations."